Hayward and Burgess land new coach roles

FORMER Wales defence coach Byron Hayward and former Wales captain Liza Burgess have been appointed to lead the nation’s men’s and women’s under-18s and under-20s teams.

Hayward left his role as part of Wayne Pivac’s staff less than 12 months after taking the post with a shock announcement ahead of the Autumn Nations Cup last November.

But he will now lead the male age-grade programmes, returning to familiar territory having coached at U20s level in the past.

World Rugby Hall of Fame inductee Burgess will lead the female age-grade programme, starting on a part-time basis immediately before going fulltime in June when she leaves her coaching role at Worcester.

She will be head coach of the U18s team, which could , along with Wales’s male players, play matches this spring, and the U20s side, which get off the ground in 2023.

Hayward said: “Having coached Wales under-20s a few years back I can’t wait to get going as when I look back on my coaching career, many of my most enjoyable times were coaching the under-20s because there’s nothing more satisfying than helping players achieve their dreams of playing for their country.

“There is something unbelievably satisfying about playing a part in a player’s journey.

“It’s going to be massively beneficial to the pathway to have a seamless transition between the under-18s and under-20s. I feel this is going to be a crucial benefit to Welsh rugby.”

Burgess welcomed the opportunity for young girls in Wales who aspire to play international rugby to have a clear pathway right through to the senior game.

While the men’s U20s programme has been in place for a number of years, Wales Women’s lack of pathway options has been cited as one of the reasons for the senior team’s lack of competitiveness but the reinstatement of U20s and U18s will be seen as a huge positive.

WRU performance director Nigel Walker added: “These appointments are critical to our strategy to develop the best young players and I’m thrilled with the calibre of individual we have recruited to these roles.

“From a male perspective, Byron has already set out identifying and developing players for our U20 Six Nations squad and will confirm his coaching and management team in the coming weeks.”